Gear-cutting machine.



G. S. GRANNls. GEAR CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.14, 1912.

1,097,222, Patented May 19, 1914.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. S. GRANNIS. GEAR CUTTING MACHINE.

ATPLIOATION FILED AUG.14, 1912.

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GEAR CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1912.

Patented May 19, 1914.

'7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

nmmmlnm WML G. S. GRANNIS.

GEAR CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG.14, 1912.

7 SHEETSSHEET 6.

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Patented May 19, 1914.

GEAR CUTTING MAGHINB.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.14, 1912.

s. GRANNIS.

Patented May 19; 1914.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. GRANNIS, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NEW PROCESS RAW HIDE COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GEAR-CUTTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedMay 19, 1914.

Application filed August 14, 1912. Serial No. 715,013.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. GRAZNNIS, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gear-Cutting Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in machines for cutting the teeth of spur gears to approximatel the correct form from previously prepare gear blanks of limited face width, said'gears to be finished to exact form in the finishing machine shown in my pending application No. 688,496, filed April 4, 1912.

The main object is to provide simple meansfor automatically and accurately cutting the teeth of a gear directly from the blank to approximately involute form by rolling such blank along an imaginary plane tangential to the pitch-circle of the gear intersecting the cutting edges of the cutters at right angles to a medial plane between them so as to cause the cutters to operate simultaneously upon a series of teeth at each forward and return movement of the gearsupporting carriage. In other words, I have sought to roll the gear blank along the tangent of its pitch-circle into cutting engagement with a pair of rotary cutters adjusted to conform to the pitch of the gear and constituting what may be termed a tooth-cutting rack capable of producing or generating teeth of involute form as the gear is reciprocated and rolled along the tangent of its pitch-circle, thereby establishing a perfectmesh with the tooth-cutting rack and assuring a correspondingly perfect mesh and noiseless running with any companion gear or rack of the same pitch when finished by the finishing machine previously mentioned.

Another object is to provide simple means for automatically rotatin the gear step by step to enable the teeth to e successively cut and finished in one and the same machine without removal therefrom.

A further object is to enable the cutters to be adjusted to different angles and also toward and from the axis of the gear-supporting spindle sothat the same machine may be used for cutting gears of diflerentpitch and also of different size.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the machine will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a top plan and a front elevation of a gear-cutting machine embodying the various features of my invention, a portion of the front of the main supporting frame being broken away in Fig. 2 to show the cam for reciprocating the carriage for the gearsupporting spindle. Fig. 3 is an end view of the upper portion of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a portion of the case for the worm..gear being broken away. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the lower end of the gear supporting spindle showing the tape drums.

and tapes for imparting rotary motion to the spindle as the latter is reciprocated transversely of the machine and showing also the means for tensioning the tapes together with the index plate. Figs. 5 and 6 are longitudinal vertical sectional views through the front and rear port-ions of the machine taken respectively on lines 55 and 66, Fig. 1. Fig; 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the same machine from front to rear taken on lines 77, Fig: 1, except that the bearing sleeve for the gear-supporting spindle is shown in elevation. Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 88, Fig. 2, showing more particularly the gear-supporting spindle and means for rotating it as it is moved back and forth relatively to the cutters and showing also the index plate and means for rotating the gear one tooth space at a time. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail sectional views taken respectively on lines 9-9 and 10-10, Fi 1; Fig. 9 showing a portion of the means or transmitting motion from the main driving shaft to one of the cutter-heads, while Fig. 10 1s enlarged and shows the means for adjusting one of the cutter-heads axially. Figs. 11 and 12 are enlarged detail sectional views of the tape tightening means taken on lines 1111 and 12-12, Fig. 3. Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the device for throwing the worm of the cam driving mechanism into and out of operative connection with its gear, said section being taken on line 1313, Fig. 3. Fig. 1 1 is an enlarged face view of a portion of one of the cutter heads showing two of the cutter knives and ad usting means therefor. Fig. 15 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the cutter-head and one of the cutters taken on line 15-15, Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view of the gear-supporting spindle and adjacent portion of the cutter-heads, together with tapes for rotating the spindle and means for effecting the step by step shifting movement of the gear through the medium of the index plate.

This machine comprises a mam supporting frame 1- of cast metal or other suitable material having the upper portion of its rear side provided with journal bearings 2- for receiving a horizontally disposed driving shaft 3-, to the central portion of which is secured a tight pulley 4 adapted to be connected by a belt to any available source of power not necessary to herein illustrate or describe. The driving shaft 3 extends from side to side of the frame and its opposite ends are connected by spiral gears 5 and 6- to superposed forwardly extending counter-shaft sections 7 having their rear ends journaled in suitable bearings 8 forming parts of gear cases 9. The gears 6 are held against axial movement by their respective cases 9 and are feathered or splined upon their shaft sections 7- so as to impart rotary motion thereto and, at the same time, to permit the said shaft sections 7 to slide axially in shifting the gear-cutters to which they are connected in a manner hereinafter described. These shaft sections -7 are connected by universal couplings 10- to additional forwardly projecting shaft sections 11 which are .journaled in suitable bearings 12 on opposite sides of the machine as shown more clearly in Figs. 2, 3, and 9, so that the corresponding shaft sections 7 and 11, together with their universal couplings, 1'0-, constitute flexible counter-shafts. The forward ends or sections llof these flexible shafts are provided with worms 13 secured thereto by suitable keys and held against axial move-' ment between the adjacent ends of their-re"- spective bearings 12 which form part of gear cases -14 for housing the Worm 13- and suitable worm gears 15 meshing therewith. The worm gears 15- are secured to the outer ends of separate horizontally disposed cutter-head spindles 16 arranged at an angle with each other and having their inner ends provided with cutter-heads 18 for cutting the teeth of a gear as a-- shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 7 and by full lines in Fig. 2.

The bearings 17 preferably consist of cast metal sleeves having their outer ends provided with the housings l4? for the worm gears 15 and their inner ends pivoted by bolts 19 to separate underlying supporting beds 20, said bearings being provided with rearwardly projecting base plates 2l having curved rear edges 22 concentric with the pivotal bolt 19 and movable along suitable graduations 23 and 23- to indicate the degree of angular adjustment of either of the cutter spindles. The base plates are pro vlded with one or more elongated slots 24- also concentric with the pivotal bolt 19- for receiving suitable clamping bolts -25- by which the bearings 17 and their cutter-supporting spindles may be held i suitable ways on the upper sides of separatesupporting plates 27 which in turn are movable forwardly and rearwardly along ways 2S on the upper side of the main supporting frame -1 at the rear of the carriage for the gear supporting spindle presently described.

Each cutter-head 18T- is provided with a circular detachable disk or plate 29. having a circular series of radial grooves 30 in its inner face, spaced uniform distances apart, for receiving a corresponding number of radial cutter bars or knives 31 which are held in place by separate clamping blocks Z 2 and bolts -33 and are adapted to be adjusted radially or endwise by adjusting screws 33 as shown more clearly in Fig. 14:. The outer ends of the cutters 31 project some distance beyond the periphery of the disk 29 and are spaced uniform distances" apart, thereby forming a series of cutting teeth of suitable form. The adjacent faces of the cutter teeth are disposed at acute angles to the axes of their respective cutter-heads while their opposite faces are disposed at right angles to such axes, the adjacent faces of the teeth of the opposed cutter-heads being spaced apart at the side adjacent the gear blank operated upon a sufficient distance to receive one tooth of the gear between them and constitute what may be termed a tooth-cutting rack with which the gear blank is adapted to be brought into rolling mesh as it is reciprocated and-- simultaneously rotated in the manner hereinafter described.

The supporting beds 20 for the cutter i noeaaaa 8 wardly sliding plates 27 and are held against axial movement by suitable collars as shown more clearly in Fig. -10-, the inner ends of the screws being engaged with nuts 5 on the under sides of the sliding beds -20-. These screws 34-- are preferably coaxial transversely of the machine and their outer ends protrude beyond the corresponding outer sides of the plates 27 and are angular in cross section for the reception of a suitable wrench or similar device whereby they may be rotated to effect the adjustment of the beds 20 in the manner previously described.

The cutter-heads, including their supporting spindles and bearings therefor, are adapted to be adjusted by hand about the axes of their respective pivotal bolts -19 when the clamping bolts 25- are loosened,

said clamping bolts being retightened when the cutter-heads are brought to the desired angle. The object of these adjustments is to properly position the cutting edges of the cutters for gears of different pitch or size, the object of the independent adjustment of either cutter-head being to compensate for any inequality of wear of the cutters.

The means, for adjusting the cutter-heads forwardly and rearwardly toward and from the axis of the gear supporting spindle to enable the machine to operate upon gearsof different size, consists of separate screws 37 which are journaled in suitable bearings 38 on opposite sides of the front portion of the machine as is shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and extend rearwardly therefrom, the rear ends of said screws being threaded and engaged with suitable nuts -39, 'on the outer sides of the plates 27, said screws being held against endwise movement by suitable collars engaging opposite ends ofthe bearings -38 and their front ends are preferably angular for the reception of a suitable wrench or equivalent whereby the screws may be rotated at will.

The gear blanks -a-, which are to be out, are clamped upon the upper end of a yertically disposed rotary spindle 40- a tapering fit in the sleeve 41 and it lower end is threaded and engaged by an adjusting nut 4t3 engaging the lower end of the sleeve to take up wear and assure a close runningfitbetween thespindle and sleeve.

The upper end of the spindle isprovided with a tapering socket for receiving the .of the screw is provided with a thread of slightly steeper pitch and engaged in an internally threaded socket in the lower end of the tapering shank of the mandrel 4:4r' as shown more clearly in Fig. 5 so that when the screw is rotated in one direction,

as .to the right in tightening, the steeper pitch of the upperend of the thread will draw the tapering shank of. the mandrel 44- in the corresponding tapering shank of the spindle thereby frictionally holding the mandrel against relative rotation. It is evident that the steeper pitch of, the upper end of the screw will cause the release or loosening of the tapering shank of the mandrel and permit it together with the gear thereon to be withdrawn from the spindle when the screw is disengaged therefrom. The gear supporting spindle is adjusted so as to hold the spindle in substantially the same horizontal plane as the axes of the cutter-heads.

The carriage &2- for the gear supporting spindle is automatically reciprocated back and forth transversely of the machine a sufiicient distance to move the gear across and to opposite sides of the cutting edges of the cutters and simultaneously with this .reciprocatory movement of the carriage, the

the cutting edges" of the, cutters along the tangent of the pitch-circle of the gear intersecting the cutters at right angles to a -medial line between the cutter-heads for the purpose of cutting the sides of the teeth to accurate involute form.

Carm'age reciprocating means.'The means for reciprocating the carriage consists of a rotary member 4'7 having acam groove 48- which receives a stud or roller -49- on the underside of the carriage the rotary member 47- being secured to a shaft or'spindle 50\ which is journaled in a suitable bearing on the upper left hand side of the main supporting frame 1- as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, the

cross section for the reception of a suitable wrench or equivalent whereby it, together with the cam 47- may be rotated by hand to reciprocate the carriage 42 at will if desired under certain conditions hereinafter described.

Secured to the outer end of the shaft or spindle 50 is a worm gear 51 meshing with an underlying worm 52- on the front end of a rearwardly extending flexible shaft 53, the latter having its rear end -connected by gears 5lto a superposed in Figs. 3 and 6.

The gears, forming a part of the connec: tion between the main driving shaft -3 and cam 47, are adjusted to rotate said cam at a relatively slow speed thereby causing a correspondingly slow reciprocatory action of the carriage 42-.

The flexible shaft 53 is composed of sections arranged end to end and connected by a universal coupling at the rear end of the worm 52 so as to allow the section upon which the worm is mounted to move vertically for the purpose of throwing the worm into and out of mesh with its companion gear '51- thus permitting the manual rotation of the cam 47 and incidental reciprocation of the carriage 29 when the worm 52 is thrown out of mesh with the gear -51.

The shaft section upon which the worm "2 is mounted is normally held in operative connection with the gear 51 by means of a hand operated locking pawl 60 which is pivoted to a laterally projecting bearing 61 on the main support-- ing frame as shown more clearly in Figs.

2, 3, and 13, and movable into and out of locking engagement with the under side of a bearing 62 in which the front end of the shaft 53 is journaled, said pawl being provided with an additional extension 64 overhanging said bearing and adapted to positively force the adjacent end of the shaft downwardly to disengage the worm 52 from its companion gear 51-- when the pawl is thrown out of locking engagement with the under side of said bearing although it is evident that the weight of the worm and its supporting section of the flexible shaft is ordinarily suflicient to cause the worm to Gear rolling and indewing.-The means for rotating the gear supporting spindle simultaneously with the reciprocation of the carriage -42 upon which such spindle is mounted for producing a rolling motion of the gear along a tangent of its pitchcircle at right angles to the medial line between the cutter-heads consists of a pair of steel tapes 65" having their inner ends attached to and reversely wound upon the peripheries of a pair of coaxial drums 6G and extending in opposite directions tangential to one and the same side of said drums, the outer ends of the tapes being attached to the peripheries of separate disks 67 which are mounted in suitable bearings on opposite sides'of the main support- Figs. 2, 4, 5, 8, and'16.

The tape drums -GG are secured together end to end (preferably integral) and are loosely mounted upon the lower end of the gear-supporting spindle 30 but are normally locked thereto by suitable mechanism'hereinafter described except for a brief interval during the reciprocation of the carriage 42 when the gear is being adjusted rotarily one tooth space in cutting the teeth successively. The diameters of these tape drums are the same as the pitch diam- 1ng frame l as shown more clearly in i eter of the gear which is being operated i upon while the tapes are attached to the same sides of the drums as that of the gear which is adjacent the cutter-heads and are therefore disposed in a vertical plane tangential to the pitch-circle of the gear intersecting the cutting edges of the cutters at their points of engagement with the gear, it being understood that the drums are changed to correspond to gears of different sizes.

The tapes --65 are adapted to be drawn up tightly and for this purpose the disks 67 are secured to separate rotarily adjusted spindles -68 which are journaled in suitable bearings on the adjacent sides of the main supporting frame -1- and are provided wit-h worm gears -69 meshing with suitable worms 70, the latter being also journaled in suitable bearings in the adjacent sides of the main supporting frame and provided with hand wheels 71 by which they may be rotated to tighten the tapes or adjust them to difl'erent sizes of drums and also to different sizes of disks -67 which must conform to the. diameter of the drums. For this latter purpose, the disks -67- and their adjusting means are mounted upon separate brackets 72 which are adjustable forwardly and rearwardly on the main supporting frame as shown more clearly in Fig. 8 and are held in their adjustedposition by their clamping bolts -73.

Secured to the lower end of the drums -66 is a radially projecting arm 74- carrying at its outer end a pivoted pawl 75 which is normally spring-pressed by spring 76 into engagement with one of a series of notches -77- in the periphery of a circular index plate -'78 the number and spacing of the notches 77 corresponding to the number of teeth of the gear which is to be cut. This'index plate is keyed or otherwise secured to the lower end of the gear supporting spindle 30- as shown more clearly in Figs. 5 and 7 and, although removable for replacement of diiferent index plates to conform to gears having dif ferent numbers of teeth, it is held in operative position by a nut 79 engaging the lower threaded end of the gear-supporting spindle as shown more clearly in Figs. 5 and 7.

The heel of the pawl 75, which is pivoted by a bolt 80 to the outer end of the arm 74, is provided with an outward projection 81 for engagement with a tripping pawl 82, the latter being pivoted by a bolt 83. to a bar 84 one portion of the main supporting frame -1 directly at the rear of the index plate '78 as shown more clearly in Fig. 8,

said bar with the tripping pawl 82- thereon being adjustable transversely of the main supporting frame to properly time the tripping of the pawl in cutting gears of difierent size or pitch and held in adjusted position by clamping bolts 85- as shown more clearly in Figs. 7 and 8.

The tripping pawl 82- is normally held against an abutment 86by means of a spring 87- to engage and trip the pawl 75 when it, together with the index plate 78 is moved in the direction indicated by arrow X, Figs. 8 and 16, but is free to move in the opposite direction or away from said abutment when engaged by the shoulder 8l as the pawl and index plate are moved in the opposite direction from that indicated by the arrow.

The index plate is provided with a cen tral pendant hub 88 upon which is frictionally clamped a radially projecting arm 89 capable of turning thereon when held in the manner hereinafter described during the rotation of the index plate but sufficiently tight to rotate therewith when not so held and also capable of holding the index plate while the pawl is being tripped and shifted from one notch to another of said plate for adjusting the gear one tooth space at a time for each cutting operation.

A pair of limiting stops 90 and 91 are mounted upon the main supporting frame in the path of movement of the free end of the arm 89 and are spaced a suitable distance apart circumferentially of such movement to properly gage the degree of circumferential movement of the pawl 75 around the periphery of the index plate to conform to different distances between the notches of different index plates of the same size in accordance 70 with the spacing of the teeth of different gears which are operated upon.

The front end of the limiting stop 90 and face of the arm 89 which is adapted to engage therewith are constructed and ar- 75 ranged so that the rear face of the arm .89 will be substantially parallel with the direction of movement of the tapes 65- when in contact with the stop thereby permitting said arm to slide along the so stop in either direction without effecting the rotation of the index plate. The limiting stop 91-, which is mounted upon the front side of the main supporting frame, is adjustable transversely thereof to position 85 the arm 89 at the proper distance from the limiting stop 90- according to the tooth space of the gear or what is the equivalent according to the distance between the notches in the index plate, the support for 90 the limiting stop 91 being held in its adjusted position by clamping bolts 93 shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2, and 7.

In the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 16, the gear-supporting spindle, with the 95 gear thereon, is shown by dotted lines in its starting position at the limit of its movement to the right of the cutters while the full linesshow the same fparts in their extreme position to the le t of the cutters, 1 the two positions indicating the degree of throw of the cam 4=7 and it will be observed that the amount of movement to the right is considerably greater than that to the left of the cutters, the object of which is to allow the teeth of the gear to clear the cutters at each step by step rotary adjustment of such gears. When the gearsupporting spindles are in these extreme positions, the pawl 75 and arm 89. which regulates approximately the movement of the pawl one tooth space at a time will also be in their position. shown by dotted lines and by full lines in the same Fig. 16.

The limiting stop .90' is positioned so as to cause the arm ,89 to engage therewith at about the same time that the point of the gear tooth being cut leaves the right hand cutters on the return of the gear-supporting spindle toward the right from the position shown by full lines in Fig. 16- and at aboutthe same time or immediately following this engagement of the arm 89- with the-stop 90', the heel -81 of the pawl 75 will have been brought intotripping engagement with the pawl 82- to trip the pawl '75 out of interlocking engagement with the index plate 78- whereupon the continued return.

movement of the gear-supporting spindle to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 16 will cause the bar 89 to frictionally hold the index plate against turning while the bar 89 simply slides along across and in contact with the limiting stop -90 'and parallel with the tapes and at the same time, the arm 74 with the pawl 75 thereon will have been moved circumferentially a distance equal to or slightly greater than one tooth space or sufiicient to cause said pawl to engage in the next succeeding notch of the index plate as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 16, it being understood that while the index plate and gear-supporting spindle with the gear thereon are being frictionally held by the engagement of the arm -89 with the limiting stop 90, the tape drum to which the arm 74 is secured is free to continue its rotation to the left to elfect the shifting of the pawl 75 one notch space in the manner just previously described.

Opcrati0n.-For example, assuming that the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 16 and that the dotted lines represent the starting posit-ion of the gear and pawl, then while the gear is being moved bodily to the left and before it reaches the cutting edge of the right hand cutter-head, a rolling motion will be imparted to the gear through the medium of the right hand tape, thereby rocking the arm -89 forwardly and to the left into engagement with the limiting stop 91, which is adjusted so as to limit the rocking movement of said arm 89 to the left during the movement of the gear a from its starting position to a point ready to contact with the cutters of the right hand cutter-head, it being understood that when the arm 89- is engaged by the limiting stop -90, it is turned upon the hub of the index plate as the gear continues its movement to the left across and into cutting engagement with knives of the outter-heads. That is, after the arm 89 encounters the limiting stop -91-, the cam "-l7- causes a continued movement of the gear blank across and to the left of the cutter-heads to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 16, the tape -65 eflecting a rolling movement of the gear spindle and gear thereon during such continued movement. This shifting movement of the gearsupporting spindle and its gear from the position shown by dotted lines to the position indicated by full lines causes the arm 74 to rock from its extreme left hand position shown by dotted lines to the right of the position shown by full lines, the heel 81 of the pawl operating to force the pawl -S2 out of its path. During the return movement of the gear, the left hand tape 65 imparts a reverse rolling movement thereto thereby causing the arm 74 to rock rearwardly to the left until the arm 89 encounters the limiting stop 90- and the heel 81 of the pawl 75 engages the tripping pawl 82 and trips said .pawl 75- in the manner previously described thereby allowing the said pawl 75 to advance into engagement with the next succeeding notch in the index plate while the latter is being frictionally held by the arm -89-, this ad- Vance of the pawl one tooth space while the index plate and gear-supporting spindle with the gear thereon are at rest causes said gear to be rotated one tooth space to the right while moving from its starting position into cutting engagement with the cutter of the right hand cutter head.

The operation and functions of the various other mechanisms of the machine have been previously described.

What I claim is:

1. Ina gear-cutting machine, a rotary cutter and means for supporting and rolling a gear blank in a straight line at right angles to its axis along a plane ta'ngential to the pitch-circle of the gear and intersecting the cutting edges of the cutter.

2. In a gear-cutting machine, a pair of rotary gear cutters arranged end to end with their axes disposed at an angle to each other and their adjacent faces spaced apart to receive one tooth and means for supporting and rolling a gear blank along a plane tangential to the pitch-circle of the gear blank and intersecting cutting edges of the gear cutter.

3. In a gear-cutting machine, a supporting spindle for a gear blank, means for reciprocating said spindle radially in parallelism with its axis, additional means coacting with the first named means for rotating the spindle and thus imparting a rolling motion to the gear blank along a plane tangential to the pitch-circle of the gear and parallel to the plane of movement of the spindle, a pair of rotary gear cutters having their cuttin edges intersecting said plane, and means fbr rotating the cutters.

4. In a gear-cutting machine, a rotary spindle for a gear blank, means for reciprocating the spindle radially along a straight line, cooperative means for rotating the spindle and rolling its gear blank in reverse directions along a plane tangential to the pitch-circle of the gear as the spindle is reciprocated, and rotary gear cutters having their cutting edges intersecting said plane and means for rotating the cutters.

5. In a gear-cutting machine, a rotary spindle for a gear blank, means for reciprocating the spindle radially along a straight line, cooperative means for rotating the spindle and rolling its gear blank in reverse directions along a plane tangential to the pitch-circle of the gear as the spindle is reaoaaaaa '7 ciprocated, rotary gear cutters having their cutting edges intersecting said plane, means for rotating the cutters, and separate devices for adjusting the cutter-heads to diflerent angles.

6. In a gear-cutting machine, a rotary spindle for a gear blank, means for reciprocating the spindle radially in a straight line, cooperative means for rotating the spindle and rolling its gear blank in reverse directions along a plane tangential to the pitchclrcleof the gear as the spindle isreciprocated, rotary gear cutters having their cutting edges intersecting said plane, means for rotating the cutters, and separate devices for adjusting the cutter-heads toward and from the axes of the gear-supporting spindle.

7 In a gear-cutting machine, means for rolling a gear blank in parallelism and in re verse directions along a plane tangential to the pitch-circle of the gear, rotary gear cutters having their cutting edges intersecting said plane, means for rotating the cutters, separate devices for adjusting the cutter-heads toward and from the axes of the gear-supporting spindle and additional devices for adjusting the cutter-heads to different angles. 7

8. In a gear-cutting machine, a pair of rotary cutter-heads disposed at an angle to each other, supports for the cutter-heads, a gear-supporting spindle for a gear blank, mechanism for moving the spindle arallel with its axis in a plane at right angl medial plane between the cutter-heads, and cooperative mechanism for rolling said gearsupporting spindle along a plane tangential to the pitch-circle of the gear.

9. In a gear-cutting machine, a rotary gearsupporting spindle, a pair of rotar gear cutters, and separate devices for ad usting them to different angles relatively. to each other about different centers. j

10. In a gear-cutting machine, a rotary gear-supporting spindle, a pair of rotary cutter-heads disposed at an angle to each, other and having their active meeting faces,

spaced one gear tooth a art, and separate devices for adjusting sai heads toward and from the gear-supporting spindle...

11. In a gear-cutting machine, a gearsupporting spindle, and a pair of rotary cutter-heads arranged at an an le to the tangent of the side of the ear a jacent the cutter-heads and having t eir active meeting faces spaced one gear tooth apart.

12. In a gear-cutting machine, a rotary gear-su porting spindle, separate rotary cutter-'hea s arranged end to end at an angle to each other and having their actlye meeting faces spaced one gear tooth a art, and

' separate devices for adjusting said eads toward and from each other.

13. In a gear-cutting machine, a rotary gear-supporting spindle, separate cutterestoa heads and separate supports therefor pivoted at opposite sides of a medial plane be tween the heads for adjusting the cutterheads to difierent angles relatively to each other.

' 14. In a gear-cutting machine, amain supporting frame, a carriage slidable on the frame, means for reciprocating the carriage, a gear-supporting spindle mounted on the carriage and provided With concentric bearings of the same diameter as the pitch diameter of the gear, means engaging said bearings for rotating the spindle in reverse directions as the carriage is reciprocated, and a pair of cutter-heads having their cutting sides intersecting a tangent to the pitch-circle of the gear.

15. In a gear-cutting machine, a pair of gear-cutting heads arranged end to end at an angle to each other and having their active meeting faces spaced one gear tooth apart, a carriage movable at right angles to a medial plane between the cutter-heads, means for reciprocating the carriage, a gearsupporting spindle mounted on the carriage and means connected to the spindle for rolling the gear-supporting spindle along a plane tangential to the gear at the side thereof adjacent the cutter-heads.

16. In a gear-cutting machine, a main supporting-frame, a carriage slidable thereon, means for reciprocating the carriage, a gear-supporting spindle mounted on the carriage, tape drums loose on the spindle and secured to each other, the diameter of the tape drums being the same as the pitch dithe plane of the axes of the cutters, means for moving the gear-supporting spindle bodily back and forth across the face of the cutters at right angles to a medial plane between said cutters, tape drums loose on the gear-supporting spindle, movable means for locking the tape drums to the spindle, the

diameter of the tape drums being the same as the pitch-circle of the gear to be cut, tapes having their inner ends reversely wound upon the drums, and means attached to the opposite ends of the tapes for tightening them. j

18. In a gear-cutting machine, gear cutting means,

spindle having a stud on the carriage, a roa rotary gear-supporting spindle, a reciprocatory carriage for thetary cam engaging said stud for reciprocating the carriage, and driving means for the cam including two members, one of Which is movable into and out of engagement With the other to permit the cam to be operated manually.

19. In a gear-cutting machine, a pair of rotary cutters arranged end to end, a gearsupporting spindle for carrying a gear blank in the plane of the axes of the cutters, a carriage for the spindle movable at right angles to a medial plane between the cutters, means for reciprocating the carriage, tape drums loose on the spindle, movable means for locking the tape drums to the spindle, the diameter of the tape drums being the same as the pitch diameter of the gear to be CHARLES S. GRANNIS.

WVitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, E. E. GREENLEAF. 

